Device and method for the reproducible adjustment of the pin hole opening and pin hole position in laser scanning microscopes

ABSTRACT

Device to adjust the position and/or size of a pinhole in a laser scanning microscope (LSM) where the pinhole is illuminated via a separate light source or the LSM laser and the pinhole is moved at a right angle to the optical axis until the receiver has the maximum intensity and the pinhole position is captured and saved together with the data attributed to the replaceable optical components.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2006/004045, filed Apr. 29, 2006, which claims priority from German Application Number 10 2005 020 542.9, filed Feb. 1, 2005, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention involves the exact marking of significant positions of the pinhole opening by virtual XY markers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A pinhole for the laser scanning microscopy has already been suggested (DE10323921), which shall allow the setting of the pinhole size beginning at 2 μm and the setting of the pinhole position at a reproducibility of 2 μm. This should result in an improvement of the pinhole setting values compared to currently used LSM pinholes by the factor of 5. The reproducibility error of 2 μm is caused by the described step motor spindle drive and the referencing procedure of this patent. The resolution of the step motor drive is 0.3 μm (differential thread with 50 μm pitch and step motor running in ⅛ micro step operation).

A pinhole with a size of 2 μm can be used sensibly if the pinhole position can be set for a reproducibility of approx. 0.5 μm.

If the setting of the pinhole location only has a reproducibility error of 2 μm, the light hitting the small pinhole opening can be vignetted considerably.

Therefore, the invention is based on the task of improving the reproducibility of the pinhole position to an advantageous 0.5 μm.

In order to be able to achieve reproducibility of the linear movement of 0.5 μm by regular spindle drives high resolution position measuring systems are generally needed which are, however, too expensive and whose dimensions are too large for pinhole setup. Therefore, a solution is sought which will allow achieving a setting of the pinhole position reproducible to 0.5 μm without measuring systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention involves the exact marking of significant positions of the pinhole opening by virtual XY pointers.

The determination of the virtual pointers can be achieved by using a CCD camera mounted to the laser scanning microscope. The virtual pointer, referring to a coordinate system, which may have a zero point for an x and y axis in the corner of a CCD chip, is stored in an electronic memory and serves to be able to find each marked pinhole position at any time and as often as desired with a reproducibility of 0.5 μm. For this, step motor drives with a resolution of 0.3 μm are operated in a closed loop which compares the current position of the pinhole opening with the virtual pointer and corrects the variances. The suggested solution also involves imaging the optically enlarged pinhole opening onto a high resolution chip of a CCD camera to determine the position and size of the pinhole opening by image evaluation, to compare the current values to the saved original position and original size of the pinhole, and to correct variances by a high resolution step motor control to a residual variance of 0.5 μm.

A further solution is to create one or more light pointers analog to the laser beam focused on the pinhole and to capture them from the pinhole using the step motor drives and the photomultiplier or a light detector.

Then, the pinhole opening will be located in a position of maximum light intensity of the light marker and therefore also of the laser focus.

As the photomultiplier or light detector is a surface detector without local resolution, this solution does not include the determination and control of the size of the pinhole opening. This is, however, not a major disadvantage, as the reproducible setting of small pinhole openings of sizes of 2 μm to 0.5 μm are ensured by a referencing procedure (referencing takes place when the pinhole first opens and the light hits the photomultiplier detector) and the reproducible setting of large pinhole sizes of 50 μm to 1000 μm by a high resolution step motor drive.

A significant advantage of the solutions with additional light sources is that the sample P does not need to be exposed to any light stress during the pinhole adjustment, as the laser L can be switched off.

1. Setup and Procedure According to the Invention Optical Layout (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3)

For the marking process, the pinhole is imaged on an approx. 10×10 mm² surface of the CCD chip with a tenfold magnification rate of VO optics.

A PC or a μm controller calculates the optical focus of the pinhole opening on the CCD detector surface whose XY coordinates are saved as a virtual vector.

For example, the left bottom corner of the CCD surface could be used as a zero point of the XY coordinate system. A suitable illumination of the pinhole opening must be realized for the marking process. An advantageous illumination is achieved by a white light LED, which may consist of three colored diodes (red, green, blue), so that an illumination independent of the type dichroitic mirror used is warranted. Another advantageous choice for the marking process would be an IR LED (900 μm). The dichroitic mirrors and filters should be IR-permeable. All optical layout examples described in the following, with CCD detectors do not influence the laser scanning process and therefore do not cause a loss of light emitted from the sample.

For each pivoted dichroitic splitting mirror or other exchangeable optical components, the optimal pinhole position is captured once and saved, and then recreated when the respective module is pivoted during the normal LSM operation.

The optimal pinhole position is determined by the intensity measurement on the PMT during the marking process.

Front Illumination of the Pinhole Opening via an LED (FIG. 1)

A laser scanning microscope is shown as a diagram with an illumination laser illuminating a sample P, a lens O, a pinhole optical system PO, a pinhole adjustable perpendicular to the optical axis PH, followed by a photomultiplier PMT, and a dichroitic mirror SP to separate the exciting and detection optical paths. A side color separator allows the simultaneous observation of the second wavelength of the fluorescent light.

An LED or halogen lamp mounted in an additional optical arm of the laser scanning microscope illuminates the pinhole opening from the front via a collimator KO and the dichroitic mirror SP.

For space reasons, the photomultiplier PMT is pivoted away from the optical path of the laser scanning microscope during the marking process and a magnifying optical system VO and a CCD chip is positioned behind the pinhole PH. The LED is then switched off during the laser scanning process.

Back Illumination of the Pinhole Opening via an LED (FIG. 2)

An LED or halogen lamp positioned between the photomultiplier PMT and the pinhole PH illuminates the pinhole PH via a condenser KO, also in three colors or by IR. The pinhole opening is imaged onto the CCD by means of at least one additional mirror SP1 (here, there are two mirrors SP1 and SP2) via an optical arm mounted in the laser scanning microscope (optical system PO1 and VO). The additional mirror(s) installed in the optical path of the laser scanning microscope can be swiveled out for the laser scanning process and swiveled in for the marking process. During the laser scanning process, the LED is switched off and swiveled out of the optical path. The photomultiplier does not need to be swiveled out. For the setup of the pinhole position as per FIGS. 1 and 2, a laser and CCD can be used instead of the LED, but by stressing the sample.

The advantage of this arrangement lies in the errors of the dichroitic during the marking process.

Illumination of the Detector Pinhole by the Laser and a Ring Mirror (FIG. 3)

The illumination of the pinhole is done from the front by the laser and a ring mirror placed in the telecentric optical path of the laser scanning microscope, here between lens O and mirror SP, which reflects the laser light in the direction of the pinhole PH in an uncoated margin area of the dichroitic mirror SP. The photomultiplier is swiveled out of the optical path of the laser scanning microscope during the marking process. The ring mirror RS does not need to be swiveled out of the optical path during the laser scanning process as the laser light is blocked by pivotable filters (not shown) and thus cannot reach the photomultiplier.

Also, with this arrangement the errors of the dichroitic mirror are also during the marking process.

Position Marking and Control of the Pinhole Opening (FIGS. 4 and 5)

A PC or a micro-controller evaluates the CCD signals, determines the optical focus of the pinhole opening and saves the XY coordinates of the pinhole opening positions to be marked. The pixel size of the of the CCD is approx. 6 μm. Due to the present tenfold magnification of the CCD camera, the reproducibility requirement is reduced from 0.5 μm to 5 μm.

Also, the size of the pinhole opening can be determined and controlled by means of this procedure. Instead of the focus point of the pinhole opening, the position of the pinhole edges imaged on the CCD chip is evaluated.

The pinhole opening is shown as a circle in this diagram. If it is square or rectangular the respective edge position can easily be determined on the CCD.

In order to be able to find a marked position of the pinhole opening reproducibly again the laser scanning microscope is adjusted just like with the marking of the pinhole position (LED or mirror swiveled in, photomultiplier possibly swiveled out). The micro-controller controls the two step motor drives M_(x) and M_(y), so that the current position of the pinhole opening on the CCD chip has the same XY coordinates as the saved virtual marker. The pinhole opening is now located at the point marked on the CCD chip with a variance of max. 0.5 μm.

Parallel to this procedure, the size of the pinhole opening can also be determined and adjusted with a reproducibility of 0.5 μm.

Using the arrangement and procedure according to this invention, the opening and position of the pinhole can be determined and adjusted as often as desired and at any location with a reproducibility of 0.5 μm. However, the typically used CCD must not be subjected to long-term position changes in reference to the optical path of the laser scanning microscope.

Design Example LSM (FIG. 6)

FIG. 6 depicts a design example of the layout of FIG. 2 according to this invention for a ZEISS LSM 510. The four pinholes are illuminated from behind by a swiveled in and serially switched on LED and one condenser each. An additional mirror SP3, which can be precisely swiveled in, redirects the light coming from the pinhole to the CCD chip whose signals are evaluated. An advantage is that only one CCD camera is required on the laser scanning microscope to mark and set up all four pinholes and that the marking errors caused by the dichroitic main mirror are also detected.

FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 show solution variants for another advantageous adjustment procedure for the pinhole position.

In FIG. 7, an axial light marker, which is supposed to have the same position as the laser beam, is created by additional optical elements.

The pinhole's position is controlled by the step motors so that the photomultiplier detects a maximum light signal. Then, the light marker will precisely hit the pinhole opening. The pinhole position is therefore optimally adjusted for the laser scanning process.

An aperture LB illuminated by the LED is imaged in the pinhole plane. The image of the aperture is used as an optical pointer which is detected via the pinhole, by the photomultiplier, adjusted by the step motor drives.

The initial calibration of the pinhole positions and storing of the X and Y coordinates take place via search algorithms with the laser. The aperture is adjusted so that the LED focus corresponds to the laser focus.

Following calibration, the measurement with the LSM adjusts the pinhole positions by means of the stored pinhole positions. A subsequent fine tuning takes place after the LED focus where it is advisable not to burden the sample laser with light as the laser will be switched off.

In FIG. 8, a light pointer is created at an angle to the laser beam which hits an additional reference pinhole RPH.

This angular positioning is adjusted during the initial calibration of the LSM, by adjusting the pinhole to the laser focus via search algorithms. After that, the aperture is adjusted so that the LED focus shines through the reference pinhole and the photo detector PE located behind it will show maximum intensity.

After the calibration, the LSM will be used to measure the pinhole positions by means of the stored pinhole positions and fine corrections (tuning) with the laser focus as shown in FIG. 7. An LED featuring a wavelength of 900 μm is recommended for the reference pinhole.

As the PMT is insensitive with this wavelength, the control of the pinhole position can take place with the IR LED at a high quantum efficiency at the photo detector prior to or even during the measurements taken with the LSM.

The adjustment of the pinhole position takes place via the reference pinhole. The pinhole and the reference pinhole are mechanically coupled. It is recommended to use a separate photo detector PE as a detector instead of a photomultiplier.

The aperture is shown in the plane of the reference pinhole.

The PMT and the laser are not needed for this adjustment.

In FIG. 9, a surface scale consisting of 100×100≡10⁴ light pointers in the pinhole adjustment range of 1×1 mm is created via the optical image of a diaphragm DP into the pinhole plane. The pinhole and photomultiplier can detect every light pointer with high reproducibility via the high resolution step motor drives, then they can set up random pinhole positions in a square measuring 10×10 μm. The diaphragm is a chrome mask or a cross grid measuring 1×1 mm perforated with a matrix of holes (5 μm diameters, 10 μm spaces).

The position of the diaphragm foci in the pinhole plane is determined by the initial calibration of the LSM by search algorithms by adjusting the diaphragm so that the laser focus, as well as the focus of the diaphragm (e.g. the center one), exits through the pinhole (coordinate origin). All other pinhole positions refer to this coordinate origin and the other optical pixels of the focus matrix are defined and stored.

When measuring with the LSM, the pinhole position is adjusted by setting it to the stored diaphragm focus and motor-driven interpolation between the foci. The laser should be kept switched off during this procedure.

Instead of the diaphragm in FIG. 9, a micro lens array can also be used. Micro lenses with a diameter of 50 μm are commonly used. An array measuring 5×5 mm would then also create 100×100=10⁴ light pointers which, however, must be imaged into the pinhole plane optically reduced by 1:10.

In FIG. 10, the deflected image of a quadruple element QP consisting of micro lenses is created in the pinhole plane which also represents a matrix of optical pointers. A honeycomb pupil PW prevents disturbing Fresnel deflection.

Principle: The quadruple element consists of 4 micro lenses containing the honeycomb pupils in their centers to prevent the Fresnel deflection.

The deflection image of the quadruple element in the pinhole plane is a matrix of optical pointers, which serves as an area scale. The pinhole can be adjusted reproducibly to every desired optical pointer via the high resolution step motor drives and the photomultiplier.

Using the parameters

f=150 mm focal length of the imaging lens L

d=10 mm distance between the micro lenses of the quadruple element

λ=630 nm wave length of red laser diode

and the deflection equation

g=λ·f/d

will result in the distance of the matrix-shaped light pointers in the pinhole plane of g=9.5 μm.

Pinhole and photomultiplier can capture every light pointer with high reproducibility via the high resolution step motor drives and insert any number of pinhole positions into a square measuring 9.5×9.5 μm.

Another especially easy procedure to adjust pinholes should be added. The suggestion is to add a retro film (FIG. 11) or a triple prism (FIG. 12) to the parallel optical path of the laser scanning microscope and to be able to slide it in and out of the optical path. This optical element being pushed into the optical path will result in the laser focus being imaged in the pinhole plane and it will prevent the sample from being stressed and faded by the laser light during the adjustment. If the optical element is withdrawn from the optical path, the sample is available for observation. There are no special requirements for this sliding mechanism due to the angular variance of retro film or triple prisms. The only minimally open pinhole opening can now be adjusted so that the laser light penetrates it exactly and is received optimally by the photo detector.

The photo detector will not be over-exposed due to the very small opening in the pinhole. A motor-driven presetting of the pinhole opening close to the laser focus (max. 2 μm offset), whose values can be found in a one-time adjustment procedure, facilitates the automatic search for the focus via small scanning movements of the XY drives of the pinhole system in an area of about 5 μm×5 μm.

1. Advantages

-   -   The pinhole opening can be adjusted to better than 0.3 μm to the         laser focus following this procedure.     -   The pinhole adjustment can also be performed during a sample         examination, as the sample does not get stressed by the laser         due to the inserted optical elements (retro film or triple         prism) and cannot be faded.     -   The small pinhole openings (of e.g. 0.3 μm) can also be adjusted         to exactly 0.3 μm, even without position measuring systems.

2. Notes

-   -   In order to have the full intensity of the laser light available         for this adjustment at the pinhole, there should not be any         color filters present in the optical path.     -   Another invention suggestion describes how angle errors of the         laser beam can be avoided when switching the separator mirrors         and color filters     -   (3-point mirror system).     -   This procedure is similar to the ring mirror procedure in FIG.         3, where the sample is stressed by laser light during the         adjustment process, and which assumes an exact alignment of the         ring mirror perpendicular to the optical axis. 

1-21. (canceled)
 22. A device for adjustment of a position and/or a size of a pinhole in a laser scanning microscope (LSM) having an LSM laser comprising: a light sensitive receiver; wherein the pinhole is illuminated via a separate light source or the LSM laser and the pinhole is moved substantially at a right angle to an optical axis of the pinhole until there is a maximum intensity on a receiver.
 23. The device as in claim 22 wherein the pinhole position at maximum intensity is captured and saved together with data attributed to replaceable optical components.
 24. The device as in claim 22, wherein the receiver comprises a position-sensitive receiver.
 25. The device as in claim 22, wherein the illumination focus of the beams going through the pinhole is captured.
 26. The device as in claim 24, wherein the pinhole opening is optically imaged magnified onto the position-sensitive receiver.
 27. The device as in claim 22, wherein at least one aperture is imaged onto the pinhole.
 28. The device as in claim 22, wherein illumination of the pinhole is effected in the direction of the detector light.
 29. The device as in claim 22, further comprising a separate detector located in the illumination direction behind the pinhole.
 30. The device as in claim 22, further comprising a separate detector located in the illumination direction behind the pinhole; and a reference pinhole that is mechanically fixed to the pinhole.
 31. The device as in claim 23, wherein an LSM detector is used for capturing the light from the pinhole.
 32. The device as in claim 22, wherein illumination of the pinhole takes place from the detector side.
 33. The device as in claim 24, further comprising at least one pivotable mirror in the LSM optical path to transmit light from the separate light source in the direction of the pinhole and in the direction of the position-sensitive receiver.
 34. The device as in claim 22, wherein a light marker or an aperture is imaged onto the pinhole plane.
 35. The device as in claim 22, further comprising a hole mask having several holes that is imaged onto the pinhole plane.
 36. The device as in claim 22, further comprising a micro lens array that is imaged onto the pinhole plane.
 37. The device as in claim 22, wherein the pinhole illumination is in the visible or infrared spectrum.
 38. The device as in claim 22, wherein the pinhole is illuminated via an LSM illumination laser.
 39. The device as in claim 22, wherein an illumination focus is created in the pinhole plane via a reflector in a parallel optical path.
 40. The device as in claim 22, further comprising a ring mirror located to reflect part of the illumination light in the direction of the pinhole.
 41. The device as in claim 22, further comprising a retro film or a triple prism that can be interposed into the optical path.
 42. A method of adjusting a position and/or a size of a pinhole in a laser scanning microscope (LSM) having an LSM laser, the method comprising: illuminating the pinhole via a separate light source or the LSM laser; locating a light sensitive receiver where it will receive light transmitted from the pinhole; and moving the pinhole substantially at a right angle to an optical axis of the pinhole until there is a maximum intensity on a receiver.
 43. The method as in claim 42, further comprising capturing the pinhole position at maximum intensity and saving the pinhole position together with data attributed to replaceable optical components.
 44. The method as in claim 42, further comprising selecting the receiver to comprise a position-sensitive receiver.
 45. The method as in claim 42, further comprising capturing the illumination focus of the beams going through the pinhole.
 46. The method as in claim 44, further comprising optically imaging the magnified pinhole opening onto the position-sensitive receiver.
 47. The method as in claim 42, further comprising imaging at least one aperture onto the pinhole.
 48. The method as in claim 42, further comprising illuminating the pinhole in the direction of the detector light.
 49. The method as in claim 42, further comprising locating a separate detector in the illumination direction behind the pinhole.
 50. The method as in claim 42, further comprising locating a separate detector in the illumination direction behind the pinhole; and mechanically fixing a reference pinhole to the pinhole.
 51. The method as in claim 43, further comprising capturing the light from the pinhole with an LSM detector.
 52. The method as in claim 42, further comprising illuminating the pinhole from the detector side.
 53. The method as in claim 44, further comprising locating at least one pivotable mirror in the LSM optical path to transmit light from the separate light source in the direction of the pinhole and in the direction of the position-sensitive receiver.
 54. The method as in claim 42, further comprising imaging a light marker or an aperture onto the pinhole plane.
 55. The method as in claim 42, further comprising imaging a hole mask having several holes onto the pinhole plane.
 56. The method as in claim 42, further comprising imaging a micro lens array onto the pinhole plane.
 57. The method as in claim 42, further comprising illuminating the pinhole with light that is in the visible or infrared spectrum.
 58. The method as in claim 42, further comprising illuminating the pinhole via an LSM illumination laser.
 59. The method as in claim 42, creating an illumination focus in the pinhole plane via a reflector in a parallel optical path.
 60. The method as in claim 42, further comprising locating a ring mirror to reflect part of the illumination light in the direction of the pinhole.
 61. The method as in claim 42, further comprising interposing a retro film or a triple prism into the optical path. 